Irish abuse survivors ask to meet Vatican investigators

Irish survivors of clerical abuse have asked to meet with the top-level investigators sent to Ireland by Pope Benedict to argue in favor of greater compensation.

Earlier this year Pope Benedict made the decision to send in the investigators after a series of shocking reports, including the Ryan Report on residential institutions and the Murphy Report on the Dublin archdiocese, proved that the Irish church had mishandled the abuse crisis.

It's understood that the investigators have already met with senior representatives of the main religious orders in Ireland ahead of a scheduled visit to the Vatican by the country's four most senior bishops.

The Irish survivors group are encouraged that Pope Benedict hopes to establish what assistance the Church owes to victims. Both The Right to Peace and Right of Place organizations say a meeting with the top-level investigators should be an essential part of their visit.

Today and tomorrow Cardinal Sean Brady, and Archbishops Diarmuid Martin, Dermot Clifford and Michael Neary will meet the four investigators assigned to their dioceses to discuss abuse claims made in their dioceses.